1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a toy device which is responsive to visual input, particularly visual input in different sectors of the visual field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, simplified robot-type toys for children are known. However, these robot-type toys typically have a pre-set number of activities. While these robot-type toys have been satisfactory in many ways, they typically have not capitalized on the child""s interest in order to provide an avenue to elementary computer programming.
While some electronic kits have been produced to allow the consumer to build a robot-type toy, these electronic kits have tended to be complicated and required an adult level of skill to operate.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a toy device which has a wide range of activities.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a toy device which can maintain the sustained interest of children.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a toy device which can be programmed by a child.
It is therefore a still further object of the present invention to provide a toy device which can be assembled by a child.
These and other objects are attained by providing a system with a microprocessor-based platform. The microprocessor-based platform typically can receive wheels which it can control and further provides the physical platform upon which the robot can be built using elements which include interlocking building blocks which are physically and visually familiar to children. The microprocessor-based unit receives commands via a link, such as an infra-red link or a radio frequency link, from a personal computer. The personal computer receives input from a digital camera or similar visual sensor. The digital camera or similar visual sensor includes interlocking elements to allow it to be incorporated into the robot built from the interlocking building blocks. The personal computer receives the input from the digital camera and, via a program implemented in software, processes the visual input, taking into account various changes (motion, light, pattern recognition or color) in the various sectors of the visual field, and sends commands to the microprocessor-based platform. The program is implemented modularly within software to allow children to re-configure the program to provide various responses of the robot-type toy to various visual inputs to the digital camera. These various programmed responses provide for a wide range of activities possible by the robot-type toy.
Moreover, the system can be configured without the microprocessor-based unit so that the personal computer is responsive to changes in the sectors of the visual field as detected by the digital camera, with processing. There are many possibilities for such a configuration. One configuration, for example, is that the personal computer would drive audio speakers in response to physical movements of the user in the various sectors of the visual field as sensed by the digital camera. This could result in a virtual keyboard, with sounds generated in response to the movements of the user.
Alternately, an auxiliary device may be activated in response to a movement in the visual field, pattern recognition or a particular color entering or exiting the field. The auxiliary device could be a motor which receives instructions to follow a red ball, or a light switch which receives instructions to switch on when any movement is sensed.